It is known to provide a camera on a vehicle to detect objects proximate to (e.g. forward of) the vehicle. It is advantageous to mount the camera in the interior of the vehicle between the rear-view mirror and the windshield, i.e. behind the windshield. This location is advantageous as it provides for an elevated perspective of the roadway forward of the vehicle, does not further obscure the operator's vision as this location is already obscured by the rear-view mirror, makes use of the windshield to protect the camera, and allows for the windshield-wipers to be configured to keep clean the portion of the windshield that the camera ‘looks’ through.
It is also advantageous to locate a rain sensor at this location for the same reasons with regard to obscuring the operator's vision. The rain sensor may be used by the vehicle to automatically operate the windshield wipers to both give the operator a clear view of the roadway, and keep clear the camera's field-of-view. However, prior attempts of locating both a camera and a rain sensor at the same location, possibly in combination with other devices such as a radar unit and/or an ambient light sensor, have resulted in a combined module package size that is cumbersome to mount and extends beyond the area already obscured by the rear-view mirror, thereby undesirably further obscuring the operator's view of the roadway.